Doug
First Class Scout
Posts: 157
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Post by Doug on Dec 9, 2003 0:15:54 GMT -5
Supposedly the lyrics came with one of the versions of the album (lyrics link). But I hear: "crushed right brain" and it seems to make more sense. Any views?
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Post by GtrPlyr on Dec 9, 2003 16:20:42 GMT -5
I always thought it was "right brain" too!
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Post by A Regular on Dec 9, 2003 16:41:53 GMT -5
Naw, it's written as Rat's Brain. I think I read somewhere that some psychotropic medicines actually use rat brain as an ingredient..or maybe that was a Wiccan handbook, I can't remember..
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Post by GtrPlyr on Dec 9, 2003 17:05:51 GMT -5
I know that's what the lyric sheet says, but when you listen to the song, they both sound like possibilities. It's hard to determine for sure, seeing, that Paul's an unreliable source for his own lyrics...
It's that whole I Will Dare thing over again...
fingernails vs. bacon.
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Post by ClamsCasino on Dec 9, 2003 17:14:31 GMT -5
Due to their similar chemical makeup, rat brains are used to test the effectiveness of anti-depressents, but I've never heard of crushed rat's brains being used as a remedy themselves. But if the Chinese use powdered tiger penis to solve bedroom problems, then anything's possible.
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Post by A Regular on Dec 9, 2003 19:37:22 GMT -5
[quote author=GtrPlyr It's that whole I Will Dare thing over again... fingernails vs. bacon. [/quote] After the last discussion about bacon/fingernails I played that passage back and forth, once planting in my head to listen to bacon, and it sure as hell sounded like bacon...then again expecting to hear fingernails and heard fingernails. Stumped, I pulled my wife and son into the debate, asking the listen and tell me what they heard, and it freaked my son out that it was the same passage as he heard both, depending on the expectation of what he was to hear. He at first thought I was jerking him around and that it was a seperate passage. My wife heard both too, dependent on expectation. Later she felt it was 3 syllables, hence fingernails. I laughed, thinking about all the press about the Kennedy assasination listening for a 4th gunshot blast... Westerbergians listening to each track at reduced RPMs, detecting garbled words. That's why I vote for no lyric sheet, so each listener can make the song what they want of it. That is what I meant when I said *My* copy of LIB says fingernails! I prefer the image of a nervous guy chewing nails, smoking cigs, having a coffee or beer, hoping some girls calls...but others like the meal of bacon w/out eggs to illustrate someone patching a meal together? I know when I'm like that I don't feel like eating!  And where do I score some tiger penis?? |
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Doug
First Class Scout
Posts: 157
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Post by Doug on Dec 9, 2003 23:09:27 GMT -5
Any homeopaths out there to help us get to the bottom of this rat's brain thing?
Working out the lyrics is fine for us Paul fanatics. But what about the other 95% of fans who simply like him? They won't understand half the songs and that's a shame. Then again, printed lyrics run the risk of them being taken out of context. How about this: When you buy the album, the lyrics get posted to you a month later?! If you send in the cellofane from the cd and 5 box tops. Or they magically appear in the cd a month after it's exposed to air?
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Post by torethatbridgeout on Dec 10, 2003 1:03:21 GMT -5
Well now rat brain actually makes more sense but I always heard right brain too.
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Post by elgoodo on Dec 10, 2003 14:12:29 GMT -5
crushed rat brain = lithium....
p.s. this is my favorite PW song...
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Post by ClamsCasino on Dec 10, 2003 18:01:06 GMT -5
crushed rat brain = lithium.... That might require a little explanation. I did a quick google search and like I said above, rat brain is used to test the effects of lithium, but it's not an ingredient in lithium. |
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Post by elgoodo on Dec 11, 2003 12:46:53 GMT -5
clams, are you familiar with the concept of "slang"?...  |
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Post by ClamsCasino on Dec 11, 2003 19:05:52 GMT -5
clams, are you familiar with the concept of "slang"?... Uh, yeah. And the eye-rolling really isn't necessary. Like I said, maybe you could give a little more explanation. Is "crushed rat's brain" really slang for lithium? Where have you heard this? |
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Brad
Star Scout
Posts: 364
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Post by Brad on Dec 11, 2003 19:37:49 GMT -5
Here is my 2 cents: I always heard "right brain" and I loved it that way. I then read that it was "rat brain" and I didn't like it that way. So I still sing "right brain" when I hear it.
As far as the bacon vs fingernails. I always heard fingernails and then I read that someone thought it was "bacon" and now when I listen I usually hear "bacon". Weird.
I happen to love these discussions and wouldn't have it any other way. I do like to know what the exact words are but only after I've already fallen in love with the song. Like I'm still not sure about the line in "Making Me Go". Does anyone else agree that he is saying, "I take it you'll be taking me to Sheryl Crow"? I LOVE the song so it isn't too important but I'd like some clarification from others.
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Post by torethatbridgeout on Dec 11, 2003 20:28:09 GMT -5
Like I'm still not sure about the line in "Making Me Go". Does anyone else agree that he is saying, "I take it you'll be taking me to Sheryl Crow"? I LOVE the song so it isn't too important but I'd like some clarification from others. It's "I take it you'll be taking me to share a crow," as in eating crow. More dietary wordplay.  |
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Post by elgoodo on Dec 11, 2003 21:46:02 GMT -5
Is "crushed rat's brain" really slang for lithium? Where have you heard this? clams, It's just one of those secrets that everyone knows, I guess... and, I like this little bugger - other faves include: ;D and  perhaps, you could try this one for a while -  |
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Post by ClamsCasino on Dec 12, 2003 17:35:10 GMT -5
clams, It's just one of those secrets that everyone knows, I guess... and, I like this little bugger - other faves include: ;D and perhaps, you could try this one for a while - Jeez, now you're telling me to shut up? Do you have some problem with me that I don't know about or something? I've noticed you taking a few cracks at me for no apparent reason. I simply asked for an explanation, but I guess you don't have one. For whatever it's worth, I've worked in a psychiatric clinic for over a decade and I've never heard anyone mention "crushed rat's brain" as slang for lithium. Maybe it's one of those "secrets" that only you know about? |
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Post by elgoodo on Dec 12, 2003 17:56:02 GMT -5
clams, just teasing you, man... ok, I guess I owe you a serious response to your question as to how I know the answer: My wife is a psychoanalyst... (pretty convenient, huh?...) Although, I always win the mental exchanges that we engage in... (or maybe she's just letting me think that I'm winning...) hmm... I'm gonna need to think about this for awhile... p.s. means "zip it", not "shut up"... |
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Post by Kathy on Dec 14, 2003 4:02:01 GMT -5
FWIW, I always thought he was using "crushed rat's brain" as a metaphor for taking a bunch of pills and who the hell knows what's in it, I'll just swallow what they tell me too and/or for all the good they do, they might as well be rat brains. I can't find any reference of it being used as a slang for lithium so while it may well be among doctors, it isn't general knowledge (vs, "hillbilly junk/heroin" = Oxycontin which you can find with a prett simple Yahoo search).
k.
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Schmoo
Second Class Scout
Posts: 28
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Post by Schmoo on Jan 3, 2004 23:28:47 GMT -5
I always heard it as crushed rat brain and thought it was just a reference to all the herbal psycotrpoic remedies on the market. As Kathy said, who the hell knows what's in it?
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Post by fungo on Jan 15, 2004 2:48:45 GMT -5
I too always thought it was crushed "right" brain, but at the first Guthrie show I notice Paul was very deliberate when he sang "crushed rat brain." Same thing when he sang the "pop pop video" line in Alex Chilton. Also, thanks clearing up the smiley. I always wondered why they had a Hitler smiley. |
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